I first heard Blood Money during the Winter of 1981. They were called Wolfbane back then and played in a style reminiscent of early Sabbath and Rush. I was scrabbling a couple of free-lance assignments for a local rag, and one of them was to check out and review all the bands on the local rock scene.

The gig was at a Biker’s pub in Manchester, a city in the north west of England. The place was so small that people were spilling out on to the street, pint pots in hand. The atmosphere was charged and I could feel the excitement emanating from the crowd. I awaited the gig with great expectations. Who were these guys who could attract such a dedicated following to a sweaty hell-hole dive like this? To stand out in the street in freezing weather, just to listen to the music?

After some initial problems with the P.A. system, the band finally started playing. How could just three guys make such a wall of sound? I was awe struck, and instantly became hooked on the band’s sound. I mean, don’t get me wrong. They weren’t the best band I’d ever heard, but there was something about them. Something in their delivery. The energy, the enthusiasm. They were wild.

I saw Wolfbane perform twice more after that before I finally got chance to meet them. (By then I was going to their gigs for pleasure, not work!) I introduced myself during a break in the set and was instantly taken with their charm and their sense of humour. These were really nice guys! I was invited to sit with them, and was introduced to the rest of their crew by Gramie while Dale went to the bar and bought me a drink. (Pint of Strongbow with a Pernod chaser please!!) During this little meeting I got the lowdown on what they’d been doing so far, and what direction they were hoping to take. They wanted a record deal, and nothing was going to stop them!

After that night, we all became good friends, and I never missed a single one of their gigs. I went on tour with them, sharing the un-romantic pleasures of life on the road. Surviving on Sardines and Complan so’s to be able to buy petrol and guitar strings. Hey, I even shared a bed with them once, though it’s not what you’re thinking. It was a bed made of speaker cabinets, and the bed sheet was the bands back cloth. A sheet of tarpaulin ten feet across with an image of a naked werewolf woman kneeling below the band’s logo! (Very un-PC.)

I have followed their career from (almost) the beginning, through good times and bad. The death of Wolfbane, and their resurrection as Blood Money. From the hard, Sabbathesque riffs to the buzzing chainsaw sound it became. If any band deserved to make it through hard work and determination, they did. If you read the band’s history within these pages, you’ll see the pain they had to suffer, and the joys they had to share.

Finally, on the band’s behalf I would like to thank all the Blood Money (and Wolfbane) fans who supported them for all those years. This site is for you. Oh one more thing, Dale and Gramie told me that if any of you still remember them, they’ll consider releasing another album!

Bekki Knight - Journalist, Rock Chick and Blood Money fan.